ADVANTAGES OF Y-Y (WYE-WYE) TRANSFORMER CONNECTION TUTORIALS

Although care must be exercised when using the Y-Y connection, this connection has certain inherent and important advantages over other three-phase transformer connections.

1. The primary and secondary circuits are in phase; i.e., there are no phase angle displacements introduced by the Y-Y connection. This is an important advantage when transformers are used to interconnect systems of different voltages in a cascading manner.

For example, suppose there are four systems operating at 500, 230, 138, and 69 kV that need to be interconnected. Substations can be constructed using Y-Y transformer connections to interconnect any two of these voltages.

The 500 kV system can be tied with the 69 kV system through a single 500 to 69 kV transformation or through a series of cascading transformations at 230, 138, and 69 kV.

2. Since the phase-to-neutral voltage is only 57.7% of the phase-to phase voltage, the windings of a Y-Y transformer require fewer turns to produce the same level of excitation in the core compared to windings connected across the phases.

3. If the neutral end of a Y-connected winding is grounded, then there is an opportunity to use reduced levels of insulation at the neutral end of the winding. A winding that is connected across the phases requires full insulation throughout the winding.

4. A Y-Y transformer may be constructed as an autotransformer, with the possibility of great cost savings compared to the two-winding transformer construction.

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